USA TODAY: UFC champ Ronda Rousey braces for worst in 'TUF 18'

UFC women’s bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey is no stranger to the spotlight, but she’s not thrilled about the latest round of attention heading her way.

One of the UFC’s biggest stars, Rousey will take center stage opposite her biggest rival, Miesha Tate, as the pair serve as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 18.” It’s the first of the UFC’s long-running competition series to feature male and female cast members/fighters.

“I think it was very good for the women’s division, and I think it definitely needed to happen, but you couldn’t pay me $10 million to do it again,” Rousey said.

Rousey, a 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist, has lived in the spotlight since she signed with the UFC in late 2012. She was on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s body issue. She was selected as one of Maxim magazine’s “Hot 100.” She is a rare occurrence in MMA – a crossover star – and as likely to appear in the pages of an entertainment or business publication as she is to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.

But for her latest assignment, Rousey was forced to live her life in front of cameras for six weeks as she looked to guide a team of UFC hopefuls through a tournament format and toward UFC contracts. Since taping wrapped up in July, Rousey has openly expressed her concern for what may have been captured by the cameras, or at least how it’s going to be presented by the show’s producers.

“How could people possibly know who you are from a couple of clips of a video that people are seeing out of context?” Rousey asked. “That’s no way for people to get to know you, so I’m just preparing for people to get the worst idea of who I am.”

UFC President Dana White, who has overseen all 18 seasons of the series, said Rousey’s concerns are normal. He said the tension that exists between Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who fought once under the Strikeforce banner and will meet again in December at UFC 168, made for an intriguing dynamic. He also said the champion’s competitive drive furthered that emotion.

“These two aren’t best friends,” White said. “They don’t hang out on weekends. They don’t send each other birthday cards or Christmas presents.

“As you get caught up in the moment, you do things, then reflect and think back on it like, ‘Jesus, this is going to be on TV in front of the whole world.’ It starts to freak you out.”

Wednesday’s debut episode features 32 hopefuls fighting for their chance to move in to the “TUF” house, where the men and women will be divided into teams and compete in separate single-elimination tournaments.

Rousey is currently in Bulgaria filming for the action film “The Expendables 3.” She’s rumored for a part in “Fast & Furious 7″ as well. But for now, it’s a starring role on “TUF 18,” and Rousey will simply brace for the worst and hope for the best.

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